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On the opening day of the event, representing Central Region Performance Centre in his Picton colours, Sullivan combined in the double scull with his team-mate Robbie Manson, from Wairau, to easily win their heat as they look to defend the crown they won last year.

However, all crews go directly through to the final and as with most races during the day, crews were certainly not showing their full hand during the sorting out phase of the regatta and there was very little to get excited about.

Sullivan and Manson, along with Steve Cottle and Joe Wright, were second in their heat of the men's premier quadruple sculls, another title Central are defending. Picton's Ryan and Keirin Gaudin plus Mitchell Mackenzie-Mol and Owen O'Brien were third but with all three automatically in the final, no-one rowed anywhere near hard out for the full 2000m.

The same crew convincingly won their heat of the senior men's quad.

Conditions at stunningly picturesque Lake Ruataniwha, in Twizel, were magnificent although the heat became a factor as the day wore on.

Sophie Mackenzie, from Central, rowing in her Wairau colours, produced an outstanding performance to pip London Olympian Julia Edward in their women's lightweight open single sculls heat, Mackenzie the only one from that heat avoiding a repechage.

She backed that up with London Olympian Louise Ayling to smash a three-boat field in winning a heat of the women's lightweight open double sculls under the blazing late afternoon sun.

The Central RPC women's under-22 eight had too much power for their rivals as they took out their heat, the crew comprising Georgia Hammond, Jess Paton, Sophie Mackenzie, Kerri Gowler, Phillipa Loveard, Robyn Munro, Ruby Tew, Geo Rodie and coxswain Lauren McAndrew.

Tew and Munro backed that up with a solid win in the under-22 pair, while James Hunter had a good start, winning his heat of the men's under 22-single sculls event.

Rowing for Central RPC in their Blenheim Club colours, Corey McCaffrey and Tom Murray blitzed their heat of the under-20 double sculls.

Disappointing were the Central RPC pairs combination of O'Neill and Seymour, third in their heat and the four of O'Neill, Seymour, Cottle and Trappitt, a distant fourth in their heat, although every crew was already guaranteed a place in the final.

Scott Green and Brook Robertson, from Central, took out their heat as did Wairau's Chris James, an easy winner of his men's senior single sculls heat.

Duncan Grant and Jamie Hunter rowed away from the field to win their open lightweight double sculls heat.

In the premier men's single sculls event Central's Robbie Manson headed off his younger brother Karl to win one heat, Nathan Cohen winning the other.

Harrison Somerville and Shaun MacDonald rowed strongly to win their heat of the men's club double sculls.

Picton's Mackenzie-Mol showed good form by winning his heat of the men's under-20 single scull then combining with Keiran Gaudin to win his heat of the senior double sculls.

The final three races of the day featured the premier men's and women's eights and the men's senior eights. Central RPC were third in the men's in what amounted to a training row. Same with the women, second in a three-boat field. Today's action features repechages and semifinals.